Cable connector or clamp



P 1959 w. MCKINLAY 2,903,772

CABLE CONNECTOR OR CLAMP Filed June 19, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 8, \NVENTOR I 1 B Wdfi'un 7h:

ATTORNEYS Sept. 15, 1959 w. McKlNLAY CABLE CONNECTOR OR CLAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 19, 1957 INVENTOR. IMAM Br H/s ATTORNEYS flaw r CABLE CONNECTOR R CLAMP William McKinlay, Hampton, Conn., assignor to The Danielson Manufacturing Co., Danielson, Conn, a company of Rhode Island Application June 19, 1957, Serial No. 666,620

4 Claims. (Cl. 24-'129) This invention relates to a cable connector or clamp,

An object of the invention is to provide such a device into which one or more plastic-coated cable ends can be inserted, without the need for any sort of tool, and in which said cable end or ends will be retained firmly without slipping or separating under any tension.

A further object is to provide such a device which can readily be molded from a plastic material such as nylon and which is very strong while being also light and requiring a minimum of material.

Another object is to provide certain improvements in the form, construction and arrangement of the device whereby the above named and other objects may effectively be attained.

Practical embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a first form of the connector with pieces of cable threaded therein;

Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the connector alone;

Fig. 3 represents an end elevation of the connector, as viewed from the left of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 represents an end elevation of the connector, as viewed from the right of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 represents a vertical transverse section on the line V--V of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 represents a vertical transverse section on the line VI-VI of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 represents a vertical longitudinal section on the line VII-VII of Fig. 2, showing the path followed by a cable threaded through one set of holes;

Fig. 8 represents a vertical longitudinal section on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 2, showing the path followed by a cable threaded through the other set of holes;

Fig. 9 represents a perspective view of a modified form of connector, specially designed for use in forming a loop or eye in the cable;

Fig. 10 represents a top plan view of the loop connector;

Fig. 11 represents an end elevation from the left of Fig. 10 (indicated at XI--Xl);

Fig. 12 represents an end elevation from the right of Fig. 10 (indicated at XII--XII);

Fig. 13 represents a longitudinal line XIII-XIII of Fig. 10, and

Fig. 14 represents a longitudinal section taken on the line XIVXIV of Fig. 10.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly Figs. 1 to 8 thereof, the connector is shown as comprising, a block of material, such as molded nylon having a rectangular outline in plan view (Fig. 2), slightly rounded side faces 1, 2 (Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6), and channeled top and bottom surfaces 3, 4, which may be either flat or slightly beveled inward toward the median vertical longitudinal plane of the block, as shown. The block is traversed by a set section taken on the jinited States Patent 0 Patented Sept. 15, 1959 ice of vertically extending holes 5, 6, 7 on one side of the vertical median plane and by a second set of vertically extending holes 8, 9, 10 on the other side of said plane.

A channel 11 extends from the hole 5 to the more distant end of the block (e.g., the right end of Fig. 2), the depth of the channel between the hole 5 and the hole 7 being preferably less than half the thickness of the block and the depth from the hole 7 to the end of the block being approximately half the thickness of the block, as indicated at 11. A similar channel 12 extends from the hole 10 to the more distant end of the block (e.g., the left end of Fig. 2), said channel likewise having a less deep portion from the hole 10 to the hole 8 and a deeper portion 12' from the hole 8 to the end of the block. The channels 11 and 12 are both formed in the top surface 3. In the bottom surface 4 there are formed corresponding channels 13, 13' (from the hole 7 to the left end of Fig. 2), and 14, 14 (from the hole 8 to the right end of Fig. 2, said bottom surface being preferably also beveled slightly inward toward the median plane. From the foregoing it will be understood that, assuming the center of the block to be the point of intersection of mutually perpendicular X, Y and Z axes, rotation of the block through 1800 around any such axis will not change the appearance of the block (position of holes, grooves, surfaces etc.), in any respect.

In order to engage a cable end, such as those indicated at A and B in Figs. 1, 7 and 8, in the connector, it is simply interwoven through the holes 5, 6, 'i or 8, 9, 10, with as little slack as possible in the bends, and it may then be subjected to tension in either direction Without danger of slippage. The arrows in Fig. 1 indicate use of the connector between cable ends under tension in opposite directions; another typical use is that in which an end is passed through the connector, looped around some object and then passed back through the connector, in which case the standing part is under continuous tension through the connector while the end is drawn only in the direction of the loop.

For the formation of a loop or eye in the cable (as is commonly required in the case of tiller cable on boats), the slightly modified form of connector shown in Figs. 9 to 14 is particularly useful. The over-all dimensions, shape and disposition of holes are the same as previously described but the length and depth of the channels 15, 16, 17, 18 are changed in that all four channels 15, 16, 17 and 18 run through to the loop end of the block (the left end in Figs. 9, 1O, 13 and 14) at their shallower depth of less than half the thickness of the block, as clearly shown in Figs. 9, 13 and 14. At the standing part end the channel 15 is preferably deepened to approximately half the thickness of the block, as shown at 15', and the diagonally opposite channel 18 is like wise deepened to the same extent, as indicated at 18.

Proper installation of the connector to form a loop or eye C is ensured, regardless of whether D or E is the standing part, merely by taking care to insert the free end (of D or E) first through a hole adjacent to one of the deepened channels 15' or 18' and from the side where said channel is formed. With such a beginning, the cable is laced through the three holes in the first row, then formed into a loop, and then laced back through the three holes in the second row. If the lacing is done in the normal manner, i.e., in alternate directions, the pull of the two sides of the loop will have a resultant which is practically along the longitudinal axis of the block (e.g., in the middle of Fig. 11), resisted by the standing part on a line slightly displaced (e.g., to the left or right of Fig. 12) from said axis. Since the channels are shallow at the loop end of the block, the adjacent holes have their full depth (the same as the middle holes) and the strength of the connector is increased as well as its cable-holding power.

As further alternatives, if desired, a connector substantially of the type disclosed herein could be mounted on some object other than a cable, and one ormore.

cable ends received therein. For special purposes such a connector might have only a single row of holes in order to hold a single cable end. Likewise, for other special purposes, the connector can be made from a groove of each set being deeper between an end of the larger block having three (or more) parallel rows of 10 holes and grooves, preferably in alternating arrangement.

As actually made, the connectors are molded from nylon, the holes having a diameter of .215" to .200" and being designed for use particularly with plastic coated metal cable having an outside diameter no more than .010" smaller than the hole diameter. In such a combination the connector may be resiliently deformed under heavy loads but it will not break and will not permit any cable slippage up to the full tensile strength of the cable. The interwoven relation of the cable and the connector is such that there are six sharp edges (at each end of each hole) which bite into the cable coating and lock the cable in place. A cable can be interwoven in the connector in a matter of seconds Without the use of tools, and it can be removed or adjusted just as easily when the tension is relaxed.

Certain of the details of shape and proportion shown or referred to are matters of appearance, molding convenience and/or economy.

What I claim is:

1. A cable connector comprising an elongated solid unitary block traversed by at least two transversely spaced sets of at least three substantially parallel holes spaced along the longitudinal axis of the block and substantially perpendicular to said axis, one face of the block being provided with a groove extending from a block and the hole nearest said end than two holes.

2. A cable connector according to claim 1 in which said deeper part of the groove has a depth equalling it is between any approximately half the thickness of the block.

3. A cable connector according to claim 1 in which a single block is provided with two transversely spaced sets of at least three substantially parallel holes with corresponding grooves, one groove of each set extending from end to end of the block, the grooves which have deeper portions being those which extend from end to end of the block.

4. A cable connector according to claim 3 in which the other grooves of each set are of substantially uniform depth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 155,344 Szabo Sept. 22, 1874 156,827 Szabo Nov. 10, 1874 1,407,406 Glazebrook Feb. 21, 1922 2,309,741 Woodward Feb. 2, 1943 2,309,971 McLorin Feb. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 610,582 France June 12, 1926 

